Plug and socket for electrical plug-and-socket connection

Abstract

A plug for an electrical plug-and-socket connection comprising a plug body having plug contacts embedded in the plug body. The contacts being connectable with wires leading to the electrical circuit of a vehicle. The plug including one or more plug openings in a front face of the plug body surrounding the plug contacts for inserting contacts of a socket into the one or more plug openings providing an electrical connection between the contacts of the socket and the plug contacts. A plug protrusion extending from the plug body and placed such that a pawl protruding form an inner surface of a socket cover engages behind the plug protrusion when the plug is inserted into a plug-in opening of the socket.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A plug for an electrical plug-and-socket connection comprising:
 (a) a plug body having plug contacts embedded in said plug body, said plug contacts being connectable or connected with wires leading to the electrical circuit of a vehicle, in particular to a trailer, or to another plug; 
 (b) one or more plug openings in a front face of said plug body surrounding the plug contacts for inserting contacts of a socket into the one or more plug openings thereby providing an electrical connection between said contacts of the socket and said plug contacts; 
 (c) a plug protrusion extending from a outer surface of the plug body and placed such that a pawl protruding from an inner surface of a socket cover engages behind said plug protrusion when the plug is inserted into a plug-in opening of the socket for securing the plug in the plug-in opening against pulling the plug in axial direction of the plug-in opening, wherein the socket cover is hinged around a hinge axis at the socket housing to close the plug-in opening of the socked if no plug is inserted into the socket; 
 (d) a cover support for supporting the socket cover when the plug is inserted into the plug-in opening of the socket, said cover support surrounding the plug protrusion and defining an opening adjacent to the plug protrusion for housing the pawl of the socket cover when the pawl is engaging behind the plug protrusion 
 wherein the cover support has a circular form with a radius corresponding to outer radius of a circular edge of the socket cover surrounding the plug-in opening when the socket cover is closing the plug-in opening. 
 
     
     
       2. The plug according to  claim 1 
 wherein an engaging surface of the plug protrusion is adapted to contact an engaging surface of the pawl of the socket cover, wherein a angle between the engaging surface of the pawl and the inner surface of the socket cover is about 90°. 
 
     
     
       3. The plug according to  claim 2 
 wherein the angle between the engaging surface of the pawl and a radial direction from the hinge axis to a connection point between the inner surface of the socket cover and the pawl is close to 90° or is in the range between >90° and 105°. 
 
     
     
       4. The plug according to  claim 1 
 wherein an engaging surface of the plug protrusion is curved. 
 
     
     
       5. The plug according to  claim 4 
 wherein the curvature of the engaging surface of the plug protrusion has a convex form. 
 
     
     
       6. The plug according to  claim 1 
 wherein a radial distance between a free end of the plug protrusion and a central axis of the plug does not exceed the radial distance of the hinge axis to the central axis of plug inserted to the plug-in opening of the socket. 
 
     
     
       7. The plug according to  claim 1  wherein the cover support has a circular ring with at least one sealing surface protruding from a plane defined by a flange-like edge of the cover support and adapted to contact a circular sealing mounted in the socket cover. 
     
     
       8. The plug according to  claim 7  wherein one axial sealing surface is disposed in axial direction of the circular ring to come into contact with a flat ring seal part of the circular sealing of the socket cover. 
     
     
       9. The plug according to  claim 8  wherein the axial sealing surface is formed at the farthest projecting part of the cover support in axial direction of the cover support. 
     
     
       10. The plug according to  claim 7  wherein one radial sealing surface is placed at the radial inner surface of the circular ring to come into contact with a radially directed seal lip part of the circular sealing of the socket cover. 
     
     
       11. The plug according to  claim 7  wherein the radially inner surface of the circular ring is higher than the radial outer surface of the circular ring. 
     
     
       12. The plug according to  claim 7  wherein all cavities defined within the circular ring of the cover support are closed at their bottom such that the cavities are air-tightly closed when the socket cover with the circular sealing is supported by the cover support. 
     
     
       13. The plug according to  claim 1  wherein the a supporting plane of the cover support for supporting the socket cover is tilted with respect to the central axis of the plug such that the supporting plane is parallel to a plane defined by a circular edge of the socket cover when the socket cover is supported by the cover support. 
     
     
       14. A plug for an electrical plug-and-socket connection comprising:
 (a) a plug body having plug contacts embedded in said plug body, said plug contacts being connectable or connected with wires leading to the electrical circuit of a vehicle, in particular to a trailer, or to another plug; 
 (b) one or more plug openings in a front face of said plug body surrounding the plug contacts for inserting contacts of a socket into the one or more plug openings thereby providing an electrical connection between said contacts of the socket and said plug contacts; 
 (c) a cover support for supporting a socket cover when the plug is inserted into a plug-in opening of the socket wherein the plug cover is hinged around a hinge axis at the socket housing to close the plug-in opening of the socked if no plug is inserted into the socket and wherein the cover support has a circular form with a radius basically equal to outer radius of the of a circular edge of the socket cover surrounding the plug-in opening when the socket cover is closing the plug-in opening. 
 
     
     
       15. The plug according to  claim 14  wherein the cover support has a circular ring with at least one sealing surface protruding from a plane defined by a flange-like edge of the cover support and adapted to contact a circular sealing mounted in the socket cover. 
     
     
       16. The plug according to  claim 15  wherein one axial sealing surface is placed in axial direction of the circular ring to come into contact with a flat ring seal part of the circular sealing. 
     
     
       17. The plug according to  claim 16  wherein the axial sealing surface is formed at the farthest projecting part of the cover support in axial direction of the cover support. 
     
     
       18. The plug according to  claim 15  wherein one radial sealing surface is placed at the radial inner surface of the circular ring to come into contact with a radially directed seal lip part of the circular sealing of the socket cover. 
     
     
       19. The plug according to  claim 15  wherein the radially inner surface of the circular ring is higher than the radial outer surface of the circular ring. 
     
     
       20. The plug according to  claim 15  wherein all cavities defined within the circular ring of the cover support are closed at their bottom such that the cavities are air-tightly closed when the socket cover with the circular sealing is supported by the cover support. 
     
     
       21. The plug according to  claim 14  wherein a supporting plane of the cover support for supporting the socket cover is tilted with respect to a central axis of the plug such that the supporting plane is parallel to a plane defined by the circular edge of the socket cover when the socket cover is supported by the cover support.